When backed into a corner, a wild animal will show its claws and bare its fangs, but Kitty Pryde’s connection to Wolverine means she was able to do one better when threatened, with actions that served as an homage to her departed friend. As Marvel Comics’ universe was teetering on the edge of its bold transition to the Ultimate Universe, Wolverine’s impact on Kitty Pryde was undeniable. Not only did she use his claws to stab one last foe, but the identity of her target would have delighted Logan to no end.
Wolverine and Kitty Pryde’s platonic relationship deepened in the Kitty Pryde and Wolverine series by Chris Claremont and Al Milgrom in the mid-'80s, which was central to her character’s growth, determining the costume she would wear into the ‘90s and her present-day codename - Shadowcat. In yet another sign that Kitty Pryde is X-Men’s hidden powerhouse, the young mutant is brainwashed to kill Wolverine and nearly succeeds, in a turn of events that the former Weapon X can relate to all too well. When she regains her wits, Wolverine challenges her as a hero, noting that she cannot run away from what happened to her and the predicament that her father is in with the Yakuza and Ogun, which was her reason for entering this conflict in the first place. Since he plays such an instrumental role in her transition from a kid-sister role into a mutant with real leadership potential, she undoubtedly has a soft spot for Logan, even though Kitty Pryde is a contingency plan against Wolverine. That is why it makes sense for her to want to put an end to S.H.I.E.L.D. dishonoring his memory after his death by continuing to experiment on his claws.
In Ultimatum: X-Men Requiem by Aron E. Coleite, Ben Oliver, and Edgar Delgado, Shadowcat succeeds in retrieving this last remaining piece of her former teammate to bury alongside the rest of the X-Men. When Mystique and Sabretooth interrupt these somber proceedings, Victor Creed again reinforces that Kitty Pryde and Wolverine had a special bond, saying she has “Logan’s stench” all over her and that he aims to gut her “because it’d @#$% him off.” This is where Pryde goes full Wolverine and impales Logan’s long-time nemesis with the dead mutant’s claws, clenching the severed bones of his hand in her own to get the full effect. When going toe-to-toe against Sabretooth, who is the X-Men's most evil foe, she shows she can be just as savage as her mentor. Wolverine, who has always had a gruff sense of humor and a strict code of honor would find it doubly amusing that Sabretooth still cannot avoid this fate.
In one of the X-Men’s bleakest timelines, this was a spot of dark comeuppance and a deeper commentary on Wolverine’s legacy. Fans must hand it to Kitty - now Kate - Pryde that, as a means of honoring her friend, she did something so in line with his personality. Wolverine and Kate are very different heroes, but Logan's mentorship and friendship with Shadowcat clearly meant a lot to her. All of it comes together to make this an exceptionally satisfying moment.
There was no better way to show that she was picking up Wolverine’s cause than for her to pick up his claws in defense of her friends, showing that Kitty Pryde is one X-Men's most satisfying characters.